It’s going off in Tehran. The ballot count was botched, neither candidate wants to accept a loss, and even the Ayatollahs are schlepping around indecisively. The youth movement behind challenger Moussavi is acting as many historical youth movements have; taking to the street peacefully and managing to prove that violence is a tactic of the state and not of this revolution. Following an election day conspicuously rigged in every way possible to allow the ultraconservatives to claim victory, riot police attempted to contain the gathering mobs, resulting in a disenfranchised electorate and the first seven bodies of the potential death toll.
Obama provided an interesting insight on the issue, stating that neither leader would have much an effect on the rigid legislation in place at the hands of the Council of Guardians, the 12 clerics who make rulings based on Islamic law. This dirty dozen seems to have retained an agenda based in beliefs now thought of as archaic by a majority of the 60% of Iran’s population that is considered the youth. While a reformist win would not truly effect this ruling body, their clout would be brought into question with greater scrutiny than Ahmadinejad could ever muster.
The difference here is between a puppet and a politician of some other ilk; a song and dance distracting from a solution to the entrenched, immovable governers of Iran. The important thing is that a government that is viewed as oppressive by vast numbers of its population is being called into question. Of course, this idealistic notion ignores the looming body count in what could be an all out revolution.
via @Change_for_Iran
